(a) whether the Railways have any plan to lay strategic railway lines close to border areas with some foreign country including China and Pakistan;
(b) if so, the details thereof and the expenditure likely to be incurred in this regard; and
(c) the time by which it is likely to be implemented?
MINISTER OF STATE IN THE MINISTRY OF RAILWAYS (SHRI MANOJ SINHA)
(a) to (c): Ministry of Defence, in the first phase, has identified four strategic lines along the Indo-China border viz. (i) Missamari - Tenga - Tawang (378 Km) (ii) Bilaspur- Manali - Leh (498 Km) (iii) Pasighat – Tezu - Rupai (227 Km) and (iv) North Lakhimpur - Bame (Along)-Silapathar (249 Km). No strategic railway line along Pakistan border has been identified by the Ministry of Defence in the first phase. Ministry of Railways has requested Ministry of Defence to convey approval to carry out Final Location Survey at a cost of Rs. 345 Crores and provide the necessary funds. The time of completion and cost, however, cannot be ascertained till completion of the Final Location Survey and detailed geo-technical studies, and consequent sanction of the project.